METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING AND REUSING COMPONENTS OF RESIDUAL GAS AND COMBUSTION GAS

Abstract

A process for producing carbon black includes, in a carbon black reactor having a combustion zone, a reaction zone, and a feed injection zone between them, the conversion of a portion of at least one hydrocarbon feed into carbon black in the presence of combustion gases generated by burning a fuel in an oxidation gas mixture containing small amounts of nitrogen to form a product stream in which the carbon black is carried by hot gases. The carbon black is separated from the hot gas, which is then treated to produce a combustion gas with a high carbon dioxide and low nitrogen content, at least a portion of which is redirected to at least one of the combustion zone, the reaction zone, and the feed injection zone.

Description

Title of the invention: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECOVERING AND REUSING COMPONENTS OF RESIDUAL GAS AND COMBUSTION GAS

[0001] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Scope of the invention

[0002] The present invention relates to methods and an apparatus for recovering and reusing components of waste gas and combustion gas in carbon black production processes and waste gas combustion.

[0003] Description of related art

[0004] Carbonaceous fuels and other organic materials are burned in a wide variety of industrial processes. Furnace reactors, combustion engines, combustion chambers, boilers, furnaces, heaters, hot gas generators, burners, waste incinerators, and the like are used to burn carbonaceous fuels. This combustion equipment can be used to generate power, incinerate waste and by-products, or both. In a typical combustion process inside a furnace or boiler, for example, a feedstock or hydrocarbon fuel is burned in the presence of oxygen or another oxidizing gas, and a combustion exhaust gas stream is produced.In certain industries, such as carbon black production, refining, or petrochemical operations, exhaust gases generated in primary processing units are routed to heaters or boilers for power generation or heat recovery. These operations can generate emissions, which may be subject to applicable air quality controls or requirements.

[0005] A furnace carbon black production process, for example, typically employs a furnace reactor comprising a burner or combustion chamber followed by a reactor. A combustion fuel feed stream, typically a hydrocarbon gas stream such as natural gas or the like, is burned in the burner section with an oxidizing feed gas stream such as air, oxygen, or oxygen-enriched air to produce hot combustion gases, which then pass into the reactor section of the furnace. In the reactor, the hydrocarbon feed is exposed to the hot combustion gases. Part of the feed is burned, while the remainder is decomposed to form carbon black, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide. and other gaseous products. The reaction products are usually quenched with water, and the resulting product stream, a mixture of carbon black and waste gas, is cooled and conveyed to a baghouse or other filtration system, whereupon the carbon black content is separated from the waste gas. The recovered carbon black is usually finished into a marketable product, such as, for example, by spraying or wet granulation. The water from granulation is usually removed with a dryer, which may be gas-heated, oil-heated, process gas-heated, waste gas-heated, or combinations thereof. The dried granules can then be conveyed from the dryer to bulk storage or undergo further handling. The dryer may also generate gaseous emissions.The main source of emissions in the carbon black furnace process is typically the waste gas. In addition to direct venting, waste gas emissions are vented using flares. The waste gas may contain combustible gas components. This waste gas can be advantageously burned to generate heat for a dryer, as described above, or for other uses. Following combustion, the resulting flue gas typically includes carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen, oxygen, and other species. Carbon dioxide can be separated from the flue gas and sequestered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is desirable to utilize the various gas species present in both the waste gas and the flue gas more efficiently.Furthermore, it is desirable to increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the flue gas to improve the efficiency of greenhouse gas separation processes before any flue gas is released. Summary of the invention

[0006] In one aspect, a carbon black production process comprises, in a carbon black reactor including a combustion zone, at least one feed injection zone downstream of the combustion zone and at least one reaction zone downstream of the first feed injection zone, the transformation in the reaction zone(s) of a hydrocarbon feed into carbon black in the presence of combustion gases generated in the combustion zone by burning a fuel in a gaseous oxidation mixture comprising 20 to 85% by volume of carbon dioxide, 15 to 80% by volume of oxygen, not to exceed 30% by volume of water, and not to exceed 35% by volume of nitrogen, to form a first product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor and hydrogen, wherein the fuel is a part of the hydrocarbon feed or a source of separate fuel and in which at least a part of the hydrocarbon feed charge is brought into contact with the combustion gases in at least one feed charge injection zone.The process further includes adding water to the first product stream to at least partially stop the transformation and form a second product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and water vapor; removing the carbon black from the second product stream to form a residual gas; reducing the carbon monoxide and hydrogen content in at least a portion of the residual gas to produce a combustion gas; reducing the carbon monoxide and hydrogen content in at least a portion of the residual gas to produce a combustion gas comprising at most 40% by volume of nitrogen; and directing at least a first portion of the combustion gas to at least one of the combustion zone, at least one feedstock injection zone and at least one reaction zone.

[0007] The first product stream may further include sulfur-containing species, and the water removal may further include the removal of at least some of the sulfur-containing species from the first portion of the flue gas, from a second portion of the flue gas, or both. The reduction may include the combustion of the waste gas, the separation and recovery of at least some of the hydrogen from the waste gas, or both. The first and second product streams may each contain carbon monoxide, and the reduction may further include the combustion of the waste gas following separation and recovery. The process may further include the removal of water from the waste gas before the hydrogen removal. The process may further include directing at least some of the waste gas to the combustion zone.The process may further include the removal of water from the waste gas before directing at least a portion of the waste gas, and the removed water may be directed for use in step (b).

[0008] The process may further include combining the first portion of the combustion gas with an oxidation reagent before direction, wherein the oxidation gas mixture comprises the combined first portion of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent, and the combined first portion of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent may be directed to the combustion zone, the reaction zone, or both. The process may further include heating the first portion of the combustion gas before combination. The process may further include heating the combined first portion of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent. The process may further include heating the first portion of the combustion gas before direction. The process may further include combining the first portion of the combustion gas with the hydrocarbon feedstock before The process may further include heating the first portion of the combined combustion gas and hydrocarbon feedstock to at least one feedstock injection zone. The process may also include heating the first portion of the combined combustion gas and hydrocarbon feedstock. The process may further include heating the first portion of the combustion gas to form a hot combustion gas and combining the hot combustion gas with the hydrocarbon feedstock before the process is directed. The process may further include heating the first portion of the combustion gas with an energy source selected from a microwave, a plasma, and a resistive heating element.

[0009] The process may further include removing water from the first portion of the combustion gas to produce a dehydrated combustion gas comprising at most 35% water by volume, and the removed water may be directed for use in step (b). The process may further include granulating at least a portion of the carbon black by combining the portion with a liquid, forming carbon black beads, and drying the carbon black beads to reduce the water content to at most 1% by weight, wherein the drying includes heating the dehydrated combustion gas and contacting the carbon black beads with the heated dehydrated combustion gas, the liquid possibly comprising the removed water. The process may further include diverting a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas and removing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide from the diverted dehydrated combustion gas.The process may further include either or both of the condensation and storage of carbon dioxide removed from the diverted dehydrated combustion gas.

[0010] When the combustion gas is dehydrated, the process may further include supplying the oxidizing gas by allowing the liquid oxygen to evaporate, wherein the process further includes transferring thermal energy from the dehydrated combustion gas to the liquid oxygen. Carbon black removal may include passing the second product stream through a filter that separates the second product stream into carbon black and residual gas, wherein the process further includes using the dehydrated combustion gas to purge solid particles from the filter. Carbon black removal may include passing the second product stream through a cyclone separator, and the process may further include using a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas to separate the residual gas and carbon black in the cyclone separator.The process may further include compressing at least a portion of the dehydrated flue gas, and the removal of carbon black may further include passing the second product stream through a filter, and optionally using the compressed dehydrated flue gas to clean the filter. The reduction may include burning the residual gas in [the following]. a burner, and the process may further include the use of compressed dehydrated combustion gas to clean the burner.

[0011] The addition of water may further include the addition of at least a part of the first part of the combustion gas to the first product stream to stop the transformation.

[0012] In another aspect, carbon black is formed by means of any combination or sub-combination of the process steps stated above.

[0013] In another aspect, a carbon black production apparatus includes a carbon black reactor including a combustion zone for burning a gaseous oxidation mixture and a fuel to generate a heated gas stream, a first feed charge injection zone for injecting a hydrocarbon feed charge into a heated gas stream to form a product stream, a first reaction zone in which carbon black is formed in the product stream, a first quenching injector, and a first quenching zone in which the carbon black is at least partially quenched with quenching fluid injected from the first quenching injector into the product stream.The apparatus further includes a separator in fluidic communication with the first quenching zone in which carbon black is separated from the product stream to form a residual gas, a thermal oxidizer configured to burn the residual gas with additional oxidation gas to form a hot combustion gas, and a first combustion gas heat exchanger that removes the thermal energy from the hot combustion gas to form a cooled combustion gas. The outlet port is in fluidic communication with at least one of the combustion zone, the first charge injection zone, and the first reaction zone, and upstream of these, or the outlet port is in fluidic communication with and upstream of at least one apparatus element selected from the combustion zone and the first reaction zone.

[0014] The apparatus may further include a scrubber-cooler comprising a sulfur-containing species scrubber and a water condenser. The scrubber-cooler serves to remove sulfur-containing species and water from at least a portion of the cooled flue gas, thereby producing dehydrated flue gas, and includes an outlet through which the dehydrated flue gas is discharged, wherein the discharge outlet is in fluidic communication with at least one apparatus element. The outlet of the scrubber-cooler may further be in fluidic communication with a heater. The apparatus may further include a carbon black granulator configured to receive at least a portion of the heated dehydrated flue gas, which then dries the carbon black granules formed in the granulator.The separator may include a bag filter, and the device may be used to direct at least a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas to . The device may also include a carbon capture system that can be used to remove at least some of the carbon dioxide present in the dehydrated combustion gas. The device may also include a carbon capture system that can be used to remove at least some of the carbon dioxide present in the dehydrated combustion gas.

[0015] The heat exchanger may be a boiler in which thermal energy from the hot combustion gas is transferred to water. The device may further include a compressor configured to receive the combustion gas, or at least a portion of the combustion gas, from the outlet and discharge the compressed combustion gas. The device may be configured to direct at least a portion of the waste gas to the combustion zone. The device may further include a condenser upstream of the combustion zone configured to remove water from the waste gas, or a portion thereof. The device may further include a hydrogen removal device upstream of the combustion zone configured to remove hydrogen from the waste gas, or a portion thereof.The apparatus may further include a second quenching injector and a second quenching zone in which the at least partially quenched carbon black is further quenched with quenching fluid injected from the second quenching injector into the product stream.

[0016] The apparatus may further include a heater disposed between the outlet and at least one of the combustion zone and the first reaction zone (at least one apparatus element) for heating at least a portion of the combustion gas. The heater includes a microwave source, a plasma source, or a resistive heating element. The apparatus may further include a heat exchanger for receiving the product stream from the first quenching zone, wherein the heat exchanger is usable for exchanging heat from the product stream with at least a portion of the combustion gas to heat the portion of the combustion gas to a temperature of 400 to 950°C.

[0017] The apparatus can be configured to combine at least a portion of the flue gas, or at least a portion of the cooled flue gas, with the additional oxidation gas and direct the combined flue gas, or the cooled flue gas, and the additional oxidation gas to the thermal oxidizer. The combustion zone, the first reaction zone, or both, or one or more of the combustion zone, the first reaction zone, and the first feed charge injection zone, can be configured to receive the oxidation gas mixture, which in turn comprises a mixture of the portion by mass of the cooled flue gas and an oxidation reagent. Namely, a portion of the cooled flue gas can further be treated, for example, by the removal of sulfur and / or sulfur-containing species, the removal of water vapor, heating, compression or several of these, and the treated portion of the cooled combustion gas is then combined with the oxidation reagent.

[0018] It must be understood that the preceding general description and the following detailed description are both provided by way of example and explanation only and are intended to provide a more complete explanation of the present invention, as claimed. Brief description of the drawings

[0019] The invention is described with reference to the plurality of figures in the drawings, on which

[0020] [Fig-1] - [Fig. 1] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0021] [Fig.2] - The [Fig.2] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0022] [Fig.3] - The [Fig.3] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0023] [Fig.4] - The [Fig.4] is a schematic diagram illustrating examples of processes for transforming a residual gas from a carbon black manufacturing process into dehydrated combustion gas according to an example embodiment.

[0024] [Fig.5] - The [Fig.5] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0025] [Fig.6] - The [Fig.6] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0026] [Fig.7] - The [Fig.7] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0027] [Fig.8] - The [Fig.8] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to various examples of embodiments.

[0028] [Fig.9] - The [Fig.9] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to comparative examples.

[0029] [Fig. 10] - The [Fig. 10] is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a carbon black manufacturing process according to an example of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] In one embodiment, a process for producing carbon black includes, in a carbon black reactor comprising a combustion zone, at least one feed injection zone downstream of the combustion zone, and at least one reaction zone downstream of the first feed injection zone, transforming in the reaction zone(s) a hydrocarbon feed into carbon black in the presence of combustion gases generated in the combustion zone by burning a fuel in a gaseous oxidation mixture comprising 20 to 85% by volume of carbon dioxide, 15 to 80% by volume of oxygen, at most 30% by volume of water and at most 35% by volume of nitrogen to form a first product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and water vapor,in which the fuel is part of the hydrocarbon feedstock or a separate fuel source, for example, burner fuel 24. Water is added to the first product stream to substantially stop the transformation and form a second product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and water vapor. The carbon black is removed from the second product stream to form a residual gas, which is treated to oxidize and optionally remove oxidizable species such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen to produce a flue gas comprising not more than 40% by volume of nitrogen, and at least a portion of the flue gas is directed to at least one of the combustion zone, at least one feedstock injection zone, and at least one reaction zone. The flue gas may optionally be treated to reduce the SOX concentration.of NOx and water vapor to produce a dehydrated combustion gas.

[0031] The methods and apparatus of the various embodiments and implementations can be used to modify any furnace carbon black reactor known to those skilled in the art. For example, these methods and apparatus can be used to modify furnace carbon black reactors such as those described in US patents Nos. 3,922,335; 4,383,973; 5,190,739; 5,877,250; 5,904,762; 6,153,684; 6,156,837; 6,403,695; 6,485,693; 7,829,057; 8,871,173 and 10,829,642, cited by way of reference. In one example of an embodiment shown in [Fig.1], carbon black is produced in a furnace carbon black reactor 10 comprising a combustion zone 12, a feed charge injection zone 14, a reaction zone 16 and a first quenching zone 18 following the first injector 20 of the process water 22.The treatment water 22 can be pumped through the first injector (20) and all / all of the following injector(s) or . It can be injected through one or more injectors via a venturi mixer. To produce carbon black, hot combustion gases are generated in the combustion zone 12 by reacting liquid or gaseous burner fuel 24 with a suitable oxidation gas mixture comprising an oxidation reagent 26 and other gases described below. At least some of the components of the oxidation gas mixture enter the combustion zone 12 through the first oxidation gas inlet 27, and burner fuel 24 enters the combustion zone 12 through the fuel inlet 25. The hot combustion gas stream flows downstream of the combustion zone 12 through the feed charge injection zone 14.

[0032] The carbon black-producing feed can be introduced into the feed injection zone 14 radially, axially, or both. The carbon black-producing feed is ordinarily heated before introduction. As shown in [Fig. 1], the carbon black-producing feed 28 is heated in a feed heater 70 to form a heated feed 31. The radially injected heated feed 31 can be injected from a plurality of feed inlet ports arranged around a circumference of the feed injection zone 14 and is injected in a transverse orientation into the hot combustion gas stream moving from the combustion zone 12 to the reaction zone 16.During introduction, the heated feed charge 31 mixes with the hot combustion gas stream to form a product stream in which the carbon black producing feed charge is pyrolyzed and carbon black is formed in the reaction zone 16.

[0033] Optionally, and as shown in [Fig. 1], an additional oxidation gas mixture comprising oxidation reagent 26 is supplied to the reaction zone 16 as a secondary oxidation stream through the secondary oxidation gas inlet 29. The carbon black in the product stream can be quenched in one or more quenching zones, for example, the first quenching zone 18, each supplied by one or more injectors, for example, the first injector 20. The effective diameters and lengths of the various zones and the quantity of water injected through the various injectors can be selected with reference to the patents indicated above, which are cited by way of reference. The effect of these parameters on the final morphology of the carbon black is well understood by those skilled in the art and does not change the operation of the various embodiments herein.Variations in carbon black reactor configurations are also possible, such as configurations employing two or more reaction zones possibly separated by a quenching zone in which the reaction is partially quenched. with injection of feedstock generating additional carbon black in each subsequent reaction zone ([Fig. 1A]). Alternatively or in addition, the additional feedstock 28 or the heated feedstock 31 can be injected into the reaction zone 16 without prior soaking of the reaction with process water 22 ([Fig. 1B]).

[0034] Suitable fuels for use in the reaction with the oxidation gas mixture in combustion zone 12 to generate the hot combustion gas stream include any readily combustible gas, steam, and / or liquid stream such as natural gas, coal gas, biomass gas, biomass liquid, liquid fuel generated from a chemical processing by-product stream, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, acetylene, alcohols, kerosene, or any gas having a lower heating value (LVH) greater than 2 MJ / Nm3. Combinations of these may also be used. It is generally preferred, however, to use fuels with a high content of carbon-containing components, and in particular hydrocarbons.For example, any of the carbon black producing feedstocks listed below can also be used as burner fuel 24. The burner fuel 24 can be injected into the combustion zone 12 at any temperature from its ambient temperature (i.e., without heating or cooling) up to 800°C. To facilitate the generation of hot combustion gases, the oxidation reagent 26, the oxidation gas mixture including the oxidation reagent 26, or other components of the oxidation gas mixture can be preheated before or after mixing, for example, to a temperature of 400 to 950°C. For example, in [Fig. 3], the oxidation reagent 26 is heated in the heat exchanger 85.

[0035] The carbon black-producing feedstock that can be used with the present invention can include any hydrocarbon gas, liquid, or petroleum feedstocks suitable for carbon black production. Appropriate liquid feedstocks include, for example, unsaturated hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbons, olefins, aromatics, and other hydrocarbons such as biomass-derived liquids, decantation oil, coal tar-derived liquids, asphaltene-containing oils, kerosenes, naphthalenes, terpenes, ethylene tars, cracking residues, oils produced from recycled materials, or any combination thereof. In general, any hydrocarbon-containing liquid with a carbon content of at least 60% by weight can be used.Suitable gaseous feedstocks include, for example, natural gas, methane, ethylene, acetylene, and other C4-C6 hydrocarbon gases.

[0036] Each of these feedstocks can be treated using techniques known to those skilled in the art to remove sulfur or other undesirable species before use. The feedstock producing carbon black 28 can be injected into the feedstock injection zone 14 or the following injection zone(s) as indicated above at any temperature ranging from its ambient temperature (i.e., without any heating or cooling) to 500°C for liquid feedstocks or to 900°C for gaseous feedstocks.

[0037] Furthermore, any of the feedstocks for the described processing schemes and methods may contain additional materials or compositions that are commonly used to manufacture conventional carbon black. The method of the present invention may further include the introduction of at least one substance that is or contains at least one Group IA and / or Group IIA element (or ion thereof) of the periodic table. The substance containing at least one Group IA and / or Group IIA element (or ion thereof) contains at least one alkali metal or alkaline earth metal. Examples include lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, francium, calcium, barium, strontium, or radium, or combinations thereof. Any mixtures of one or more of these components may be present in the substance.The substance may be a solid, a solution, a dispersion, a gas, or any combination thereof. More than one substance having the same or different Group IA and / or Group IIA metal (or ion thereof) may be used. If multiple substances are used, they may be added together, separately, sequentially, or at different reaction sites. For the purposes of the present invention, the substance may be the metal (or metal ion) itself, a compound containing one or more of these elements, including a salt containing one or more of these elements, and the like. The substance may be capable of introducing a metal or a metal ion into the ongoing reaction to form the carbon black product.For the purposes of the present invention, the substance containing at least one Group IA and / or IIA metal (or ion thereof), if used, may be introduced into the reactor at any time, for example, before the quenching process is complete. The amount of the substance containing the Group IA and / or IIA metal (or ion thereof), if used, may be any quantity as long as a carbon black product can be formed. The substance may be added in the same manner as a carbon black-producing feedstock is introduced. The substance may be added as a gas, liquid, or solid, or any combination thereof. The substance may be added at one or more times and may be added as a single stream or a plurality of streams. can be mixed with the feed charge, fuel and / or oxidant before or during their introduction.

[0038] In addition to carbon black, the product stream contains carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and water vapor. Water vapor is present before quenching, and the product stream becomes wetter after quenching. Furthermore, the product stream may include nitrogen, acetylene, SOX, NOx, and other species that are ordinarily generated during carbon black production processes. Following quenching, the hot carbon black-containing product stream can be passed through one or more heat exchangers, for example, through heat exchanger 30. The use of the heat thus extracted is analyzed in more detail below. As shown in [Fig.[l] The heat exchanger 30 transfers heat from the product stream to a gas, but the exchanger 30 and any subsequent heat exchanger(s) can also be a boiler or other heat exchanger that transfers heat from the hot product stream to a liquid. After the product stream passes through the heat exchanger(s), a cooling zone 32 supplied with process water 22 by the cooling zone injector 34 can provide an additional opportunity to control the temperature of the product stream before each of the separation and cooling steps described below. Alternatively, or in addition, similar cooling zones can precede a particular heat exchanger to control the temperature of the product stream entering the heat exchanger.

[0039] After the product stream is quenched, it passes downstream through all the conventional separation and cooling stages by which the carbon black is recovered, represented in [Fig. 1] by the separator 36. The separator 36 may include devices such as a bag filter, a ceramic filter, a cyclone separator, other devices known to those skilled in the art for separating particles from a gas stream, or a combination of two or more of these. The separation of the quenched product stream results in two product streams: carbon black 37 and waste gas 38. Those skilled in the art will recognize that small amounts of waste gas may be present in the carbon black stream 37 and vice versa.

[0040] Carbon black 37 can be any conventional carbon black. For example, carbon black 37 can be any N-series carbon black according to ASTM D-1765, for example, an N100, N200, N300, N500, N600, N700, N800, or N900 series carbon black. More specific examples of ASTM N-series carbon blacks include NI 10, N121, N134, N220, N231, N234, N299, N326, N330, N339, N347, N351, N358, N375, and N550 carbon blacks. N660, N683, N762, N765, N774 or N990. Alternatively or in addition, carbon blacks produced according to the embodiments provided herein may have a structure, as given by the oil adsorption index for carbon black, (OAN, ASTM D-6556) of 30 to 450 mL / 100 g, for example, of 30 to 100 mL / 100 g, of 100 mL / 100 g to 200 mL / 100 g, of 200 mL / 100 g to 300 mL / 100 g or of 300 mL / 100 g to 450 mL / 100 g. Alternatively or in addition, and in combination with each of the structure values ​​provided above, carbon black can have a surface area (BET surface area, ASTM D-3414) of 5 to 1800 m2 / g, for example from 8 m2 / g to 150 m2 / g, from 150 m2 / g to 350 m2 / g, from 350 m2 / g to 600 m2 / g, from 600 m2 / g to 900 m2 / g, from 900 m2 / g to 1300 or from 1300 m2 / g to 1800 m2 / g.Carbon black can be used in any end-use application in which carbon black is utilized, for example, as a pigment, reinforcing agent, filler and / or thermal and / or electrical conductor and be useful in elastomers, plastics, polymers, toners, inks, batteries, adhesives, coatings and the like.

[0041] In the embodiment shown in [Fig. 1], the waste gas 38 travels to the thermal oxidizer 40, where it is burned with an oxidation gas mixture comprising the oxidation reagent 26A, which may have the same or a different composition as the oxidation reagent 26, to produce a hot combustion gas 42. The thermal oxidizer 40 may employ any technology known to those skilled in the art, for example, a direct-fired thermal oxidizer, a combustion chamber, or an incinerator. Alternatively or in addition, a portion of the waste gas 38 may be directed to a flare and burned without recovering the energy from the resulting combustion. The energy in the hot combustion gas 42 can be used to provide heat in a variety of unit processes. In [Fig. 1], the energy is used to heat water in the boiler 44.The resulting steam 45 can be used to drive a turbine, to generate electricity, or to provide steam heat or steam for any other industrial process. Alternatively, or in addition, the hot flue gas 45 can be passed through a heat exchanger in which the heat from the hot flue gas 42 is used to heat a liquid or gas, for example, the feedstock 28, the oxidation reagent 26, or the oxidation gas mixture, and / or to dry carbon black pellets made from carbon black powder 37. As shown in [Fig. 1], the cooled flue gas 46 exiting the boiler 44 travels to a scrubber 47 where SOX and / or NOX are removed. SOX removal can be accomplished by any process known to those skilled in the art.Examples of SOX removal processes that can be used alone or in combination with another include purification. by wet process with seawater or an aqueous slurry of limestone, lime, or other alkaline sorbent; spray drying of a mixture of the sorbent and cooled flue gas; a dry sorbent injection process in which a sorbent material such as powdered hydrated lime is injected into a cooled flue gas stream; and wet sulfuric acid treatment such as that described in US 5108731, the contents of which are cited herein by reference. Examples of NOx removal processes include ammonia or urea injection into a cooled flue gas stream and selective catalytic reactor (SCR) processes known to those skilled in the art, including but not limited to the processes described in US 9192891, cited by reference.As an alternative or in addition to scrubber 47, a selective non-catalytic reactor (SNCR) process, including but not limited to the processes described in patent '891, can be used to remove NOx from the hot flue gas 42. Since SCR and SNCR processes operate most efficiently within specific temperature ranges familiar to those skilled in the art (typically 257 to 500°C and 900 to 1050°C, respectively), these processes can be located at any suitable point in the process between the thermal oxidizer and scrubber 47. For example, SNCR 43 can be located between the thermal oxidizer and scrubber 47. Alternatively, SNCR 43 can be located between the thermal oxidizer 40 and the boiler 44, with only the removal of NOx occurring in scrubber 47 ([Fig. 3]).Alternatively, and in addition, a series of boilers and / or other heat exchangers may be replaced by boiler 44, with a suitable SCR and / or selective non-catalytic reactor (SNCR) processes incorporated at suitable locations before or between the staged heat recovery systems. Alternatively, or in addition, a catalytic process such as that described in EP2561921, the contents of which are cited for reference, or commercially available processes such as the Haldor Topsoe SNOX™ process may also be used. Any apparatus known to those skilled in the art for operating a scrubber may be used, including a spray tower, a tray tower, or a bed of packing material such as ceramic or stainless steel, which improves contact between the scrubbing chemicals and the gas being cleaned, for example, cooled flue gas 46.

[0042] While the oxidation reagent 26 and the oxidation reagent 26A may include air, the oxidation reagent does not preferably include substantial amounts of nitrogen such as are found in air. For example, the oxidation reagent 26 and / or the oxidation reagent 26A may comprise 80 to 100% oxygen by volume, for example 90 to 100% oxygen by volume. Such oxygen may be compressed oxygen or, more preferably, liquefied oxygen. allowed to evaporate. Alternatively or in addition, the oxidation reagent 26 and / or the oxidation reagent 26A may be produced from air or other gases by pressure-modulated adsorption or other processes known to those skilled in the art, such as cryogenic air separation processes to increase the oxygen gas concentration. Such processes may leave small amounts of nitrogen, argon, or other gases in the oxidation reagent 26 and / or the oxidation reagent 26A. In some embodiments, the oxidation reagent 26 comprises up to 40% by volume of nitrogen, for example, 2% to 30% by volume, 3% to 20% by volume, or 5% to 10% by volume of nitrogen. The less nitrogen is used in oxidation reagent 26 and / or oxidation reagent 26A, the more the resulting dehydrated combustion gas 48 will be concentrated in carbon dioxide.Recycling the flue gas through the furnace carbon black reactor 10 can make the use of air or other externally supplied gases as a diluent for oxidation reagent 26 and / or oxidation reagent 26A, for example, as part of the oxidation gas mixture, partially or completely unnecessary, further reducing the use of nitrogen in the system.

[0043] The oxidation reagent 26 used in the carbon black reactor 10 may be different from the oxidation reagent used in the downstream processes for treating the waste gas 38. For example, a variant of the oxidation reagent 26A, which may be air or pressurized air, may be used to feed the thermal oxidizer 40 (see [Fig. 2]). Alternatively, or in addition, the variant of oxidation reagent 26A may be used in either or both of a waste gas burner 60 or a thermal oxidizer 40 ([Fig. 2]).

[0044] Alternatively or in addition, additional carbon dioxide from a separate source can be directed into the combustion zone 12 and / or the reaction zone 16. For example, carbon dioxide 108 can be combined with the oxidation reagent 26 ([Fig.5]) or with the dehydrated combustion gas 48 (see [Fig.6]) before being directed into the combustion zone 12 and / or the reaction zone 16. Alternatively or in addition, it can be directed either into the combustion zone 12 ([Fig.2]), or into the reaction zone 16, or into both, separately from one or more components of the oxidation gas mixture.

[0045] In one embodiment, the waste gas 38 can be directed to several parallel processes in which the waste gas 38 is treated and the energy within it is exploited. As shown in [Fig. 4], the waste gas 38 is divided into three streams 38A, 38B, and 38C. Stream 38A is directed to a waste gas burner 60 to be burned with an oxidation gas mixture formed by combining the oxidation reagent 26A with the dehydrated combustion gas 48. From the waste gas burner 60, hot combustion gas 42A is directed to the Dryer 62 for indirect drying of carbon black 37. The hot flue gas 42A is then directed to the boiler 44. The stream 38B is directed to a combustion chamber 68 of a feed charge heater 70 to be burned using an oxidation gas mixture formed by combining oxidation reagent 26A with dehydrated flue gas 48. The resulting hot gases are directed to the feed charge heater 70, where the feed charge 28 is preheated to a desired temperature and then introduced into the feed charge injection zone 14 as heated feed charge 31 ([Fig. 1]). The stream 38C is directed to the thermal oxidizer 40.The hot flue gas stream 42A from the dryer 62, the hot flue gas stream 42B from the feed charge heater 70 and the hot flue gas 42 from the thermal oxidizer 40 can be combined and introduced into the boiler 44, from which the cooled flue gas 46 goes to the scrubber 47.

[0046] The purified flue gas 46A emerging from the scrubber 47, which may have any water vapor content resulting from the preceding unit processes, for example, 40 to 50% by volume, is then dehydrated in a gas dryer 49. The gas dryer 49 may employ apparatus known to those skilled in the art for dehydrating gases, including both direct and indirect processes. Direct processes include the use of cooling water intended to come into contact with the purified flue gas 46A in a cooling scrubber or in a venturi mixer and a scrubbing tank. Alternatively, a cooling reagent such as water, ammonia, glycol, etc., may be used to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A in a heat exchanger, with the cooling reagent recycled through a condenser to remove the heat transferred from the purified flue gas 46A.The cooled water 50 can be discharged as wastewater 51 and / or recycled for use as at least part of the process water 22. As shown in [Fig. 1], the water from the gas dryer 49 is first cooled in a chiller 54 before discharge or recycling, and part of the resulting cooled water 50 is directed to a gas dryer 49 to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A. [Fig. 1] also shows a domestic water supply 23 combined with cooled water 50 to form process water 22. Alternatively, all of the process water 22 can consist of a domestic water supply 23.During the discharge from a gas dryer 49, the resulting dehydrated combustion gas 48 may contain at most 35% by volume of water vapor, for example, at most 30% by volume of water vapor, at most 25% by volume of water vapor, at most 20% by volume of water vapor, or from 2% by volume of water vapor to 15% by volume of water vapor. Alternatively, or in addition, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 may be further dried by other means. Processes known to those skilled in the art, such as adsorption / desorption above a tank or tanks filled with a drying agent to reduce the amount of water vapor to not more than 2% by volume, for example, not more than 1% by volume, not more than 0.5%, or from 0.2% by volume to 1.5% by volume. The dehydrated combustion gas 48 may contain not more than 40% by volume of nitrogen, for example, not more than 30% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 20% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 15% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 10% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 5% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 3% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 1% by volume of nitrogen, not more than 0.5% by volume of nitrogen, or not more than 0.1% by volume of nitrogen. The dehydrated combustion gas 48 may contain at most 1000 ppm of carbon monoxide, for example, at most 800 ppm or at most 500 ppm of carbon monoxide.The dehydrated combustion gas 48 may contain at most 15% by volume of oxygen, for example, from 0.5% by volume to 12% by volume, from 1% by volume to 10% by volume, from 2% by volume to 7% by volume, from 0.2% by volume to 5% by volume, at most 3% by volume or at most 2% by volume of oxygen. The dehydrated combustion gas 48 may contain at least 30% by volume of carbon dioxide, for example, from 40% by volume to 99% by volume, from 50% by volume to 98% by volume, from 60% by volume to 95% by volume, at least 70% by volume, at least 80% by volume, at least 90% by volume or at least 95% by volume of carbon dioxide.

[0047] Dehydrated flue gas 48 can be used in several unit processes in the furnace carbon black reactor 10 and the downstream processing of the resulting carbon black and other by-products. For example, it can form part of the oxidation gas mixture in which burner fuel 24 is burned in the combustion zone 12. As shown in [Fig. 1], it can be used as a diluent for oxidation reagent 26 and / or oxidation reagent 26A to form the oxidation gas mixture introduced into the thermal oxidizer 40, the combustion zone 12, or the secondary oxidation stream introduced into the reaction zone 16 or the subsequent reaction zone(s) as described above. Alternatively, or in addition, at least a portion of the dehydrated flue gas 48 can be pressurized.Depending on the pressure required for the subsequent unit processes, it may be advantageous to pressurize the dehydrated flue gas 48, for example, before heating it in the heat exchanger 30 or other heat exchangers associated with the furnace carbon black reactor 10 and its downstream processes. In one embodiment, a pump or compressor 82 may be disposed upstream of the heat exchanger 30 either after (as shown in [Fig. 1]) or before (as shown in [Fig. 5]) any dehydrated flue gas 48 is diverted to the secondary oxidation gas inlet 29. As shown in [Fig. 1], the dehydrated flue gas 48. is used without additional heating in the secondary oxidation stream but is passed through the compressor 82 and the heat exchanger 30 to become heated compressed dehydrated combustion gas 56, which is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 for introduction into the combustion zone 12. Alternatively, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 can be heated and / or compressed before being used in the secondary oxidation stream and / or unheated before introduction into the combustion zone 12 ([Fig.3]).

[0048] Alternatively or in addition, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 can be combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and the resulting oxidation gas mixture heated before introduction into the combustion zone 12, the reaction zone 16 or the subsequent reaction zone(s) as described above. As shown in [Fig. 5], the compressed dehydrated combustion gas 57 is heated in the heat exchanger 85 and introduced into the reaction zone 16. Whether the dehydrated combustion gas 48 is heated and / or compressed or not, it can be introduced directly into the reaction zone 16 (or the reaction zone(s) as described above) or the combustion zone 12 without first being mixed with the oxidation reagent 26; in this embodiment, the oxidation gas mixture is formed, for example, in the combustion zone 12 or the reaction zone 16. For example, in [Fig.[3] The dehydrated combustion gas 48 is injected into the combustion zone 12 through the second oxidation gas inlet 27A, and the heated, compressed dehydrated combustion gas 56 is injected into the reaction zone 16 through the secondary auxiliary oxidation gas inlet 29A. In each of these embodiments, the dehydrated combustion gas 48, either alone or mixed with an oxidation reagent 26, can be brought to a temperature of 400 to 950°C. In one alternative embodiment, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 is combined with a limited amount of oxidation reagent 26, heated, and then combined with an additional oxidation reagent. The amount of oxidation reagent 26 can be limited to a quantity that can be safely contained within the heater, given the flammability of certain oxidation reagents, such as oxygen.

[0049] The compressed dehydrated combustion gas 57 can be used to support any process in the furnace carbon black reactor 10 or the associated upstream processes shown in the various figures that require a compressed gas. For example, the compressed dehydrated combustion gas 57 can be used to cool observation windows or a pilot burner in a carbon black reactor 10. Alternatively or in addition, it can be used to remove soot from the boiler 44 and / or the thermal oxidizer 40. The compressed dehydrated combustion gas 57 can be used to remove soot from an SCR catalyst in a scrubber 47. The increased carbon dioxide concentration also allows the dehydrated combustion gas 48, preferably following compression into compressed dehydrated combustion gas 57, to be used as a process gas to clean the separator 36 ([Fig.5]), for example, as a purge / reverse flow gas, particularly when a bag filter or similar device is used, or in a cyclone device used in the separator 36. The increased carbon dioxide concentration of the dehydrated combustion gas reduces the risk of combustion that would be present if air were used in the hot separator 36.

[0050] Alternatively or in addition, dehydrated combustion gas 48 can be used to further process the carbon black. Carbon black is frequently compressed into granules to reduce dust and facilitate handling. To improve the handling characteristics of the relatively fuzzy carbon black, it is frequently agglomerated by various mechanical processes to produce granules, either in the dry state or with the aid of a liquid granulating agent. Generally, the carbon black particles are held together by weak forces. Granulation treatments of carbon blacks to produce carbon black granules are known in the art.For example, Glaxner US Patent No. 2,065,371 describes a wet granulation process in which fluffy carbon black and a liquid such as water are combined and agitated until typically spherical carbon black pellets are formed. Typical carbon black pellets are about one millimeter in size. In addition to water, a wide variety of binding additives are known to be useful in the granulation process to further improve the handling characteristics of fluffy carbon black pellets.Such additives include, but are not limited to, hygroscopic organic liquids such as ethylene glycol, carbohydrates (e.g., sugar, molasses, soluble starches, saccharides, lignin derivatives), rosin, anionic sulfonate and sulfate surfactants, nonionic fatty amine ethoxylate surfactants, sodium lignosulfonates, silanes, sucrose, alkyl succinimides, alkylated succinic esters, and co-polydimethyl polyethylene siloxane oxide surfactants. The beads are then dried to reduce the water content to no more than 1% to form carbon black granules. The dehydrated flue gas 48 can be heated and used to dry the carbon black granules by direct contact in the dryer. The dehydrated combustion gas 48 can be heated in the heat exchanger 30 or using alternative heating methods as described below. For example, on the [Fig.3], carbon black 37 is processed in a granulator 87 and then brought into contact with heated compressed dehydrated combustion gas 56 in a dryer 62 to form dried carbon black granules 37A. Direct contact is possible due to the low flammability and low reactivity of the gas. Compressed, heated, dehydrated combustion 56, while hot air has a higher oxygen content and can create a safety hazard if it comes into direct contact with the hot combustible carbon black, and the flammability of the waste gas can create a safety hazard if air leaks into a dryer where the hot waste gas is in contact with the carbon black granules. The reactivity of the air or the waste gas can affect the properties of the carbon black, which can be detrimental to quality. For example, in [Fig. 4], the dryer 62 operates by indirect contact between the carbon black granules 37 and the hot combustion gas 42A. For example, the hot combustion gas 42A may be passed through a jacket around a pipe or other enclosure that separates the carbon black 37 from the hot combustion gas 42A.

[0051] The improved carbon dioxide concentration of the dehydrated flue gas 48 offers several advantages for the operation of the furnace carbon black reactor 10 and the downstream processes for collecting carbon black and other by-products. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the dehydrated flue gas 48 can be diverted to a carbon capture system, for example, the carbon capture system 52. The increased partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the dehydrated flue gas 48 can improve the efficiency of the carbon capture system 52.The carbon capture system 52 may include any system for the separation, utilization, sequestration and / or storage of carbon dioxide known to those skilled in the art, for example, a process based on physical adsorption (using, for example, activated carbon, glycol or other solvents which can take part in Van des Waals interactions with carbon dioxide), a chemical absorption process (employing, for example, an amine-based solvent, inorganic alkaline solutions such as potassium carbonate or sodium carbonate, or other chemicals which can form a weak chemical bond with carbon dioxide and can be easily regenerated), and / or a membrane separation process (for example, using ceramic or zeolite membranes).Physical adsorption processes include, but are not limited to, adsorption by temperature variation, adsorption by pressure variation, and adsorption by partial pressure variation. Carbon dioxide separation may also include drying processes, for example, using a cooler, adsorption by pressure variation, or other treatment to remove water, followed by condensation of the carbon dioxide while removing lower-boiling gases such as oxygen and argon. Carbon dioxide separation processes may also remove oxygen, for example, excess oxygen that was not consumed in the thermal oxidizer 40. Following separation, the carbon dioxide 90 ([Fig. 6]) can be injected into . an underground saline aquifer or other carbon sequestration aquifer, with the other residual gases (mainly water and oxygen, with small amounts of nitrogen and other gases) 92 being vented. Other carbon dioxide storage processes known to those skilled in the art may also be employed. Alternatively or in addition, carbon dioxide may be used for industrial and / or commercial processes such as enhanced oil recovery, promoting fermentation and other biological processes, manufacturing building materials, fire extinguishers, beverage production, greenhouse agriculture, and other manufacturing and industrial processes that employ carbon dioxide as a process gas or use it as a raw material.

[0052] Alternatively or in addition, liquid oxygen, for example, intended for use as an oxidation reagent 26, can be used as a cold reservoir to remove heat and liquefy the carbon dioxide. Alternatively or in addition, the heat exchange between the enriched carbon dioxide stream and the liquid oxygen can be configured to assist the liquid oxygen in evaporating for use as an oxidation reagent 26. In this way, even the limited amount of thermal energy remaining in the carbon dioxide-enriched stream following carbon dioxide separation can be utilized. The increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the dehydrated flue gas 48 reduces the amount of other gases that need to be separated from the dehydrated flue gas 48 before or during carbon capture processes.Thus, the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the dehydrated combustion gas 48 can reduce the required size of the components of the carbon capture system 52.

[0053] Alternatively or in addition, at least a portion of the cooled combustion gas 46 may be diverted and mixed with the dehydrated combustion gas 48 before the combined combustion gas stream is used in the various combustion processes described herein. For example, in [Fig. 7], a portion of the cooled combustion gas 46 is diverted to a gas dryer 49A to remove water, which is then cooled in the cooler 54A to produce chilled water 50A. The chilled water 50A may be recycled to the gas dryer 49A in the same way that the chilled water 50 is recycled to the gas dryer 49, or it may be used as part of the process water 22. In [Fig. 7], the chilled water 50A is mixed with wastewater 51 and discharged.The cooled and dried combustion gas emerging from the gas dryer 49A is preferably heated above 200°C in the heater 116 to form the recycled combustion gas 120 before being combined with the dehydrated combustion gas 48 to form the combustion gas mixture 118. The combustion gas mixture 118 can be used in any combustion process described herein or in a furnace carbon black reactor 10. in the same way as the dehydrated combustion gas 48. For example, the combustion gas mixture 118 can be combined with the oxidation reagent 26 before or after (or without) further heating, for example, in heat exchangers 30 and / or 85, and injected into the combustion zone 12 and / or the reaction zone 16 or can be injected into the combustion zone 12 and / or the reaction zone 16 separately from the oxidation reagent 26.

[0054] As with the dehydrated combustion gas 48, the combustion gas mixture 118 can be compressed to achieve a desired pressure. For example, in [Fig. 7], the combustion gas mixture 118 is pressurized in the compressor 82 to produce the compressed combustion gas mixture 123, which is combined with the carbon black-producing feedstock 28 and directed to the feedstock heater 30. There, it is also combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and directed to the reaction zone 16. The compressed combustion gas mixture 123 is also passed through the heat exchanger 30, and the resulting heated compressed combustion gas mixture 124 is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and directed to the combustion zone 12. In some embodiments, it is not necessary to dehydrate the cooled combustion gas 46, in which case the heater 116 can also be omitted.The amount of cooled flue gas 46 that can be diverted depends on whether the cooled flue gas 46 is dehydrated before being combined with the dehydrated flue gas 48 (which will change the partial pressure of water vapor), the amount of dehydrated flue gas 48 diverted to the carbon capture system 52, the composition of the oxidation reagent 26 and the oxidation reagent 26A, and the desired composition of the oxidation gas mixture. However, diverting some of the cooled flue gas 46 will reduce the size required for the scrubber 47 and the gas dryer 49. In some embodiments, the hot flue gas 42 can be passed through the SNCR 43 before the boiler 44, reducing the amount of NOx in the cooled flue gas 46 that is diverted.

[0055] Alternatively or in addition, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 or the combustion gas mixture 118 can be used as an atomizing gas for injecting the carbon black-producing feedstock into the feedstock injection zone 14 or the subsequent feedstock injection zone(s) as described above ([Fig. 1]). In embodiments where the additional feedstock is injected into one or more reaction zone(s) such as the reaction zone 16, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 or the combustion gas mixture 118 can also be used as an atomizing gas. In either of these embodiments, it may be desirable to preheat the dehydrated combustion gas 48 or the combustion gas mixture 118. On the [Fig. 2], a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas 48 is passed through the heat exchanger 30 to form heated dehydrated combustion gas 58, which is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and injected into the combustion zone 12. Alternatively or in addition, the dehydrated combustion gas 48 can be combined with the feedstock 28 and the mixture passed through a heat exchanger, for example, the heat exchanger 70 ([Fig. 3]). In [Fig. 2], the heated dehydrated combustion gas 58 is combined with the feedstock generating carbon black 28 and the resulting mixture is directed to the feedstock injection zone 14. The combustion gas mixture 118 can be used in the same way as the dehydrated combustion gas 48 in any of these embodiments. For example, in [Fig.[7] The combustion gas mixture 118 is compressed to form the compressed combustion gas mixture 123, which is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 to form the oxidation gas mixture. The compressed combustion gas mixture 123 is also heated in the heat exchanger 30 to form the heated compressed combustion gas mixture 124, which is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and directed to the reaction zone 16.

[0056] Alternatively or in addition, the improved carbon dioxide content of the dehydrated combustion gas 48 and / or the combustion gas mixture 118 allows for additional techniques to heat the dehydrated combustion gas 48 and / or the combustion gas mixture 118 as desired, for example, before injection into the combustion zone 12 or the reaction zone 16, before mixing with the oxidation reagent 26, or before use as an atomizing gas for the carbon black producing feed 28. This can reduce or eliminate the need for combustion techniques to heat the carbon black producing feed 28 or the oxidation reagent 26.Due to the low hydrocarbon content and limited oxidation content of the dehydrated flue gas 48 and the flue gas mixture 118, they can be heated not only by combustion processes but also by electrical processes such as resistive heating elements, microwaves, or thermal plasma, for example, direct arc plasma. For example, the dehydrated flue gas 48 and the flue gas mixture 118, with or without compression, can be heated directly with an electric heating element capable of supplying energy at a high temperature. Preferably, the heating element is made of a corrosion-resistant and high-temperature-resistant material such as zirconia, molybdenum carbide, silicon carbide, and other such materials known to those skilled in the art.Similarly, microwaves or an electric current could be passed through the dehydrated combustion gas 48 or the gaseous mixture of . Combustion 118. Electric current creates a plasma; microwave heating can also create a plasma depending on the microwave energy.

[0057] Furthermore, the use of dehydrated combustion gas 48 or combustion gas mixture 118 as a carrier gas or as part of the oxidation gas mixture potentially reduces the amount of gas delivered to the combustion zone 12 in proportion to the desired amount of oxygen. While air contains only 21% oxygen by volume, a synthetic gas prepared with dehydrated combustion gas 48 or combustion gas mixture 118, with or without compression and / or heating, and purified oxygen (e.g., compressed and / or liquefied / evaporated) can have an arbitrary proportion of oxygen, reducing the total amount of gas required and essentially concentrating the carbon black content of the product stream. The reduced amount of gas used to transport the carbon black product can increase reactor efficiency by allowing more carbon black to be produced for a given volume of product stream.Furthermore, the improved carbon dioxide content of the dehydrated flue gas 48 or the flue gas mixture 118 compared to air can increase the amount of carbon black that can be produced from a given amount of carbon black producing feedstock (yield).

[0058] The oxidation gas mixture in which the burner fuel 24 is burned may include 20 to 85% by volume of carbon dioxide, 15 to 80% by volume of oxygen, not to mention 30% by volume of water vapor, and not to mention 35% by volume of nitrogen. Small amounts of other materials, such as argon, NOx, SOX, CO, and other components commonly found in compressed oxygen, compressed nitrogen, combustion gases, and air, may also be present. For example, the oxidation gas mixture may include 30 to 80% by volume, 40 to 75% by volume, 45 to 70% by volume, or 50 to 60% by volume of carbon dioxide. Alternatively, or in addition, the oxidation gas mixture may include 20 to 70% by volume, 25 to 60% by volume, or 30 to 50% by volume of oxygen. Alternatively or in addition, the oxidation gas mixture may include 0.1 to 20% by volume, 0.5 to 15% by volume, 1 to 10% by volume or 2 to 5% by volume of water.Alternatively or in addition, the oxidation gas mixture may include 2% by volume to 35% by volume of nitrogen, 4% by volume to 25% by volume of nitrogen, 5% by volume to 15% by volume or up to 10% by volume of nitrogen.

[0059] When at least a portion of the cooled flue gas 46 is recycled, the dehydrated flue gas 48 does not need to be recycled to the furnace carbon black reactor 10. Instead, the dehydrated flue gas 48 can be directed to the carbon capture system 52, with a portion possibly diverted for use as a process gas ([Fig. 8]) as described above high, for example to clean the scrubber 48, to cool the observation windows, to dry the carbon black granules, in the separator 36, etc. As shown in [Fig. 8], the cooled flue gas 46 is not even dried or reheated but is recycled directly to the combustion zone 12, the reaction zone 16 and the thermal oxidizer 40 in the same way as the dehydrated flue gas 48 or the flue gas mixture 118. Similarly, the cooled flue gas 46 can be used as a diluent or vehicle for the oxidation reagent 26A in the waste gas burner 60 or for the oxidation reagent 26 in the feed charge heater 70.The cooled combustion gas 46 can be heated, pressurized, and either combined with the oxidation reagent 26 or injected separately into the combustion zone 12 and / or the reaction zone 16 in the same manner as described above for the dehydrated combustion gas 48 and the combustion gas mixture 118. For example, in [Fig. 8], the cooled combustion gas 46 is pressurized in the compressor 82. The resulting compressed cooled combustion gas 93 is combined with the feed charge 28 and directed to the feed charge heater 70, and also combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and directed to the combustion zone 12. The compressed cooled combustion gas 93 is heated in the heat exchanger 30, and the resulting heated compressed cooled combustion gas 94 is combined with the oxidation reagent 26 and directed to the reaction zone 16.

[0060] The use of a low-nitrogen oxidation gas mixture also allows for more advantageous use of the waste gas 36. For example, the reduced nitrogen concentration also increases the proportion of hydrogen in the waste gas 38. Alternatively, or in addition, at least a portion of the waste gas 38 can be dehydrated in a waste gas processor 100 ([Fig. 6]) using methods known to those skilled in the art, such as the methods described above for dehydrating the flue gas to create a dehydrated waste gas. The resulting liquid water 102 can be directed to the process water 22, the waste water 51, or combined with chilled water 50 for use in the gas dryer 49 (and the gas dryer 49A, in embodiments where the cooled flue gas 46 is dehydrated and recycled).

[0061] Hydrogen can optionally be removed from the waste gas in the waste gas processor 100 before or after dehydration by any process known to those skilled in the art, including hydrogen-permeable membranes, pressure-varying adsorption, and other variation processes. The resulting hydrogen 104 can be recycled for various uses, including as a propellant, in fuel cells for generating electricity (e.g., for zero-emission vehicles), in hydrodesulfurization processes for fossil fuels, in the Haber- process Bosch uses it for the production of ammonia, as a reducing agent to recover metals such as tungsten and copper from various ores, and to hydrogenate oils and fats for use in food, to produce chemicals such as methanol and hydrogen peroxide, and in other industrial processes. Following dehydration and possible hydrogen removal, the treated waste gas 106 can be burned, for example, in a device similar to a waste gas burner 60, a combustion box 68, or a thermal oxidizer 40. In embodiments where hydrogen is removed from the waste gas 38, the primary fuel gas in the treated waste gas 106 will be carbon monoxide, further reducing the amount of oxidant, for example, oxidation reagent 26A, required to burn the waste gas.

[0062] Alternatively, or in addition, the increased concentration of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in the waste gas 38 compared to waste gas generated using air in the carbon black reactor 10 makes the waste gas 38, following dehydration, particularly suitable for reuse as at least part of the burner fuel 24 ([Fig. 6]). For example, at least part of the dehydrated waste gas can be redirected to the combustion zone 12, any remaining dehydrated waste gas being optionally treated to remove hydrogen prior to combustion or further oxidation or carbon monoxide removal. Alternatively, at least part of the waste gas 38 can be recycled directly to the combustion zone 12 without dehydration and / or without hydrogen removal.Because the dehydrated waste gas, following possible hydrogen removal, still contains carbon monoxide (in addition to any residual hydrogen), it can still be advantageously redirected to the combustion zone 12. In any embodiment where at least a portion of the waste gas 38, with or without one or more dehydrations or hydrogen removals, is recycled to the combustion zone 12, a reduced quantity of the oxidation reagent 26A is required for the thermal oxidizer 40 because a smaller volume of gas is being processed. Furthermore, recycling the waste gas results in a smaller quantity of combustion gas being processed in the scrubber 47. Figure 6 illustrates the waste gas processor 100 separated from the waste gas diverter 38 to the waste gas burner 60, the combustion chamber 68, and the thermal oxidizer 40.However, it may be desirable to dehydrate or even remove the hydrogen from the waste gas 38 and to use the treated waste gas 106 in the waste gas burner 60, the combustion box 68 and the thermal oxidizer 40.

[0063] Alternatively or in addition, at least a portion of the waste gas 38 can be pressurized. Equipment using compressed waste gas can operate at higher pressures or can be smaller, or both, since the volume of the waste gas is reduced. For example, using compressed waste gas from compressor 112 ([Fig. 5]) in thermal oxidizer 40 will result in a higher pressure for the hot combustion gas 42 and consequently for the dehydrated combustion gas 48. Alternatively, or in addition, that portion of the waste gas 38 that will be directed to the combustion zone 12 can be compressed. It may be advantageous to dehydrate all or part of the waste gas 38 before compression. For example, the waste gas 38 can first be treated in the waste gas processor 100 to reduce the water vapor and possibly the hydrogen content before compression, as shown for compressor 110 ([Fig. 6]). The waste gas 38 can also be treated similarly before being directed to compressor 112. EXAMPLES

[0064] Two production processes for different grades of carbon black product were simulated based on empirical furnace operating parameters, carbon black product yield correlations, etc. The two simulated grades of NC include a semi-reinforced grade of ASTM N500 and 600 series carbon blacks (low specific surface area or LS carbon black) and a reinforced grade of ASTM N-100 to 300 series carbon blacks (high specific surface area or HS carbon black).

[0065] For all the simulated production processes, a similar feedstock and natural gas-type fuel are used. Their characteristics can be presented in Table 1 and Table 2 respectively.

[0066] [Table 1]. Properties of natural gas-type fuel in the simulation of the NC production process Components Composition (% by volume) ch4 93.330% c2h6 3.867% Propane 0.243% Butane 0.060% Pentane 0.059% Hexane 0.039% n2 0.437% co2 1.965% Lower heating value (LHV) (MJ / Nm3) 36.32

[0067] [Table 2]. Supply load properties used in NC production process simulation Properties Value Elemental Composition % by weight H 8.45% C 88.45% N, O, S Residual Specific Gravity 1.13

[0068] Comparative Example 1: Production of LS (low specific surface area) carbon black

[0069] In this example, the carbon black product is produced by means of a furnace carbon black reactor 10 shown in [Fig. 9]. Natural gas is used as the burner fuel 24 ignited with combustion air 126 supplied by means of an air blower 128. The preheated combustion air 126 burns the natural gas in the combustion zone 12 to form a primary flame and generate a gas (primary flame gas 130) which passes from the combustion zone 12 into the feed charge injection zone 14.The feed charge 28, decanted oil as listed in Table 2, is preheated to 240°C and then injected into the primary flame through one or more nozzles in the feed charge injection zone 14 to produce a stream of hot fumes containing the desired carbon black product carried along in a hot by-product gas stream. Water is directed through one or more first-stage injector(s) 20 approximately 10–15 m downstream of the feed charge injection zone. 14 to complete the reaction and then the quenched reactor product stream is passed through the heat exchanger 30 to preheat the ambient air to generate combustion air 126. The cooled reactor product stream is further cooled in a cooling zone 32 to about 230°C and transferred to a bag filter 36A to separate the solid carbon black 37 and generate waste gas 138. The waste gas 138, having a substantial calorific value, is burned in the thermal oxidizer 40 using air 126A as an oxidant to generate heat (about 29MW in the model of this example) for industrial heat production and / or for heat recovery for steam production.The combustion of the waste gas 138 is controlled, such as the complete destruction of volatile organic compounds to meet applicable environmental regulations and simultaneously minimizing the excess oxygen concentration in the hot flue gas 142 to maximize thermal efficiency and / or minimizing the fuel gas flow rate to reduce the rated capacity for the downstream air pollution control unit, e.g., an SNCR (not shown) and / or a scrubber 47, including a gas dryer 49 with a cooling value of approximately 17.6 MW to dehydrate the cleaned flue gas 146A and form dehydrated flue gas. The current 148 is sent to the CO2 capture unit to capture the CO2 from it for sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, or other uses.

[0070] Table 3 summarizes the key process parameters for the production of LS quality carbon black following this process.

[0071] [Table 3] - Key process parameters for example 1 Parameter Current name Combustion air 126 Burner fuel 24 Feed charge 28 Primary flame gas 1 30 Fluid type Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, N m3 / h 13.447 400 0 13.857 Gas flow rate, kg / h 17.308 309 0 17.617 Temperature, °C 500 20 240 1 156 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 7,000 0 [Table 3] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 22 Waste gas 138 to thermal oxidizer 40 Process air 126A to burn waste gas 138 Fluid type Gas + solid Liquid Gas Gas Gas flow rate, N m3 / h 22 248 0 39 657 36711 Gas flow rate, kg / h 20 143 0 34 137 47 250 Temperature, C 1 339 20 230 0 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 13 994 0 0 Solid flow rate kg / h 4 474

[0072] [Table 3] - (continued) Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 142 Cooled combustion gas 146 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 148 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 148 For CO2 capture 52 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas Flow rate, Nm3 / h 71,388 71,388 49,429 0 49,429 Gas Flow rate, kg / h 81,387 81,387 63,736 0 63,736 Temperature, C 1,132,230 40 40 40 Liquid Flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 17,652 0 Solid Flow rate kg / h 0 0 0

[0073] [Table 4]: Composition and properties of several key gas streams for comparative example 1 Current Name Composition (% by vol.) Primary flame gas 130 Residual gas 138 Hot combustion gas 142 Dehydrated combustion gas 148 before CO2 capture n2 76.77% 26.83% 55.58% 80.27% O2 14.44% 1.5E-12 3.8E-12 5.45% CO 8.9E-08 9.37% 0.00% 0.00% H2 7.5E-08 15.45% 0.00% 0.00% H2O 5.77% 47.38% 35.07% 6.22% CO2 3.01% 0.69% 5.58% 8.06% CH4 2.8E-32 4.6E-08 9.1E-3O 0

[0074] In this comparative example, there will be 49,429 NmVh of dehydrated combustion gas 148 to be treated in the CO2 capture unit. This gas stream contains 8.06% by volume of CO2 (Table 4).

[0075] Comparative example 2: production of LS (low specific surface area) carbon black according to an example of an embodiment of the invention

[0076] In this example, the carbon black product is produced by means of a furnace carbon black reactor 10 having a configuration similar to that used in Comparative Example 1 but employing flue gas recycling as shown in [Fig. 10]. Natural gas is used as the burner fuel 24, ignited with an oxidation gas mixture consisting of a mixture of an oxygen stream as the oxidation reagent 26 and dehydrated flue gas 48A. In this example, the oxygen stream contains 3% by volume of N2 and 97% by volume of O2. The ratio of oxygen to dehydrated flue gas in the oxidation gas mixture is adjusted to target the primary flame temperature to a value close to that used in Comparative Example 1. The flow rate of dehydrated flue gas 48A is adjusted to target the primary flame stream flow rate 131 to a value close to that of Example 1.

[0077] The resulting waste gas 38 is also burned with the oxygen oxidation reagent 26A (97% by volume O2 and 3% by volume N2) mixed with dehydrated flue gas 48B to target a desired flame temperature and excess oxygen concentration level in the hot flue gas 42 and generate approximately 28.6 MW of thermal energy. Similar to Comparative Example 1, the hot flue gas 42 from the combustion of the waste gas 38 will be cooled in the boiler 44 to generate steam 45. After the NOx and SOx have been removed to the desired permissible level, the purified flue gas 46A is dehydrated at 40°C (cooling value for dehydration ~ 19.9 MW).A stream of the resulting dehydrated flue gas 48 is partially (48A) recycled again to mix with oxygen to form the oxidation gas mixture and preheated in the heat exchanger 30 to the desired temperature before entering the burner. Stream 48B is a stream of the dehydrated flue gas 48, which is recycled again to mix with the oxidation reagent 26A for use as a thermal oxidizer 40. The remaining dehydrated flue gas 48 is sent to the CO2 capture unit 52 for CO2 removal. The key parameters for this example are summarized in Table 5 below.

[0078] [Table 5] - Process parameters for example 2 Parameter Current Name Oxidation Reagent 26 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48A Oxidation Gas Mixture Burner Fuel 24 Feed Charge 28 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Flow Rate, Nm3 / h 2846 11491 14337 400 0 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 4049 21072 25121 309 0 Temperature, C 2040700 20240 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 0000 7000

[0079] [Table 5] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Primary flame gas e 131 passing from combustion zone 12 to feed charge injection zone 1 4 Reaction current passing from reaction zone 16 to first temper zone 18 Total temper water 22 Fluid Type Gas Gas + Solid Liquid Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 14,747 22,780 0 Gas flow rate, kg / h 25,430 27,956 0 Temperature, C 1,116 1,339 20 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 14,281 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 4,474 [Table 5] - (continued)

[0080] Parameter Current Name Waste gas 38 to thermal oxidizer 4 0 Oxidation reagent 26A to thermal oxidizer 40 Dehydrated combustion gas 48B to thermal oxidizer 40 Oxidation gas mixture to thermal oxidizer 40 Fluid type Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas flow rate, N m3 / h 40 546 5 356 24 653 30 010 Gas flow rate, kg / h 42 237 7 619 45 208 52 827 Temperature, C 230 20 40 37 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0

[0081] [Table 5] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Hot combustion gas 42 Cooled combustion gas 46 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas to CO2 capture 52 Gas type Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 65 935 65 935 40 841 0 4 697 Gas flow rate, kg / h 95 064 95 064 74 892 0 8 613 Temperature, C 997 230 40 40 40 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 20 172 0

[0082] [Table 6]: Composition and properties of several key gas streams for Example 2 Stream Name Composition (% by volume) Oxidation gas mixture to combustion zone Primary flame gas 1 31 Residual gas 38 Oxidation gas mixture to thermal oxidizer 40 Hot combustion gas 42 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 n2 4.83% 4.70% 1.71% 4.87% 3.27% 5.28% O2 22.10% 16.00% 0.00% 20.23% 2.20% 3.55% CO 3.57E-O7 1.39E-O6 17.44% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2 1.76E-O7 9.95E-O8 5.35% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2o 5.06% 10.34% 59.06% 5.19% 41.97% 6.31% co2 68.01% 68.95% 16.44% 69.71% 52.56% 84.86% ch4 0 0 0 0 0 0

[0083] In this example, there will be 4,697 Nm3 / h of dehydrated combustion gas requiring treatment in the CO2 capture unit. This gas stream contains 84.86% by volume of CO2 (Table 6).

[0084] Comparative example 3: production of HS carbon black (high specific surface area)

[0085] In this comparative example 3, of high-quality carbon black with a specific surface area The high concentration is produced using a conventional recipe as described in Example 1, but with a quench length of approximately 1 to 10 m. The processing of the carbon black product, the combustion of the waste gas, energy recovery, and flue gas treatment generally follow the same protocol as that shown in Example 1. The key process parameters for this example are summarized in Table 7 below. The combustion of the waste gas 138 yields approximately 36.9 MW of thermal energy, and a cooling value of approximately 25.6 MW is required to dehydrate the purified flue gas 146A.

[0086] [Table 7]: Key process parameters for example 3 Parameter Current name Combustion air 126 Burner fuel 24 Feed charge 28 Primary flame gas 1 30 Fluid type Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow, N m3 / h 23,577 2,000 0 25,694 Gas flow, kg / h 30,385 1,545 0 31,930 Temperature, C 500 20 280 2 078 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 6 800 0 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0

[0087] [Table 7] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 2 2 Residual gas 138 to thermal oxidizer 40 Processing air 126A to burn off residual gas 138 Fluid type Gas + solid Liquid Gas Gas Gas flow rate, N m3 / h 34,948 0 61,472 38,367 Gas flow rate, kg / h 34,689 0 56,010 49,383 Temperature, C 1,509 20,230 0 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 21,321 0 0 Solid flow rate kg / h 4,041 0 0 0 [Table 7] - (continued)

[0088] Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 142 Cooled combustion gas 146 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 148 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 148 To CO2 capture 52 Gas Finish Type Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas Flow rate, Nm3 / h 93,688 93,688 60,588 0 60,588 Gas Flow rate, kg / h 105,393 105,393 78,787 0 78,787 Temperature, C 1,093 230 40 40 40 Liquid Flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 26,606 0 Solid Flow rate kg / h 0 0 0 0 0

[0089] [Table 8]: Compositions and properties of several key gas streams for comparative example 3 Current Name Composition (% by vol.) Primary flame gas 130 Residual gas 138 Hot combustion gas 142 Dehydrated combustion gas 148 before CO2 capture n2 71.75% 29.99% 52.07% 80.52% O2 4.57% 2.9E-10 1.99% 3.08% CO 4.0E-O3 8.83% 0.00% 0.00% h2 l.4E-O3 11.18% 0.00% 0.00% h2O 15.42% 48.79% 39.35% 6.22% CO2 7.72% 1.20% 6.59% 10.18% CH4 2.0E-18 l,9E-09 6,7E-30 0

[0090] In this comparative example, there will be 60,588 Nm3 / h of dehydrated combustion gas to be treated in the CO2 capture unit. This gas stream contains 10.18% by volume of CO2 (Table 8).

[0091] Example 4: Production of HS (high specific surface area) carbon black according to an example of an embodiment

[0092] In this Example 4, high-quality carbon black with a high specific surface area is produced by means of a process similar to that described in Example 2, but with a quenching length of 1 to 10 m. The processing of the carbon black product, the combustion of the waste gas, energy recovery, and the treatment of the flue gas generally follow the same protocol as that presented in Example 2. The key process parameters for this example are summarized in Table 9 below. The combustion of the waste gas 38 yields approximately 39.3 MW of thermal energy, and a cooling value of approximately 27.6 MW is required to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A.

[0093] [Table 9]: Key process parameters for example 4 Parameter Current Name Oxidation Reagent 26 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48A Oxidation Gas Mixture Burner Fuel 24 Feed Charge 28 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Flow Rate, Nm3 / h 5,043 10,206 15,249 2,129 0 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 7,173 18,731 25,904 1,645 0 Temperature, C 20,40 7,675 20,280 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 6,800 Solid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 0

[0094] [Table 9] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Primary Flame Gas 131 Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 22 Fluid Type Gas Gas + Solid Liquid Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 17,829 26,910 0 Gas flow rate, kg / h 27,549 30,308 0 Temperature, C 2,119 1,510 20 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 20,238 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 4,040 Parameter Current Name Total Quenching Water 22 Residual Gas 38 to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Reagent 26A to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48B to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Gas Mixture to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Fluid Type Liquid Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Flow Rate, N m3 / h 0 52,087 7,149 29,584 36,733 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 0 50,546 710 169 54,295 64,465 Temperature, C 20,230 20 40 37 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 20,238 0 0 0 0

[0095] [Table 9] - (continued) Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 42 Cooled combustion gas 46 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 1 48 To CO2 capture 52 Fluid type Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 82511 82511 47 200 0 7410 Gas flow rate, kg / h 115011 115011 86 627 0 13 600 Temperature, C 1 068 230 40 40 40 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 28 384 0

[0096] [Table 10] - Compositions and properties of several key gas streams for Example 4 Stream Name Composition (% by volume) Oxidation gas mixture to combustion zone 12 Primary flame gas 1 31 Residual gas 38 Oxidation gas mixture to thermal oxidizer 40 Hot combustion gas 42 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 n2 4.38% 3.80% 1.30% 4.66% 2.90% 5.06% O2 34.45% 7.55% 0.00% 21.74% 2.03% 3.55% CO1.35E-O6 4.15E-O2 17.71% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2 6.73E-O7 3.42E-O3 6.52% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2o 4.23% 27.15% 63.41% 5.08% 46.41% 6.31% co2 56.94% 57.01% 11.06% 68.52% 48.67% 85.08% ch4 0 0 0 0 0 0

[0097] In this example, there will be 7410 Nm3 / h of dehydrated combustion gas to be treated in the CO2 capture unit. This gas stream contains 85.08% by volume of CO2 (Table 10).

[0098] Example 5: Production of HS (high specific surface area) carbon black according to an example embodiment

[0099] In this Example 5, high-quality carbon black with a high specific surface area is produced using the same apparatus as in Example 4. Instead of pure oxygen, oxygen-enriched air (containing 40% by volume of O2 and 60% by volume of N2) is used as the oxidation reagent 26A in the thermal oxidizer 40. The oxidation reagent 26 contains 3% by volume of N2 and 97% by volume of O2. The processing of the carbon black product, the combustion of the waste gas, energy recovery, and the treatment of the flue gas generally follow the same protocol as that shown in Example 2. The key process parameters for this example are summarized in Table 11 below. The combustion of the waste gas 38 yields approximately 39 MW of thermal energy, and a cooling value of approximately 29 MW is required to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A.

[0100] [Table 11]: Key process parameters for example 5 Parameter Current Name Oxidation Reagent 26 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48A Oxidation Gas Mixture Burner Fuel 24 Feed Charge 28 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Flow Rate, Nm3 / h 5157 15397 20554 2454 0 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 7363 24593 31956 1896 0 Temperature, C 204067620280 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 000006625 Solid Flow Rate, kg / h 000000

[0101] [Table 11] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Primary Flame Gas 131 Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 22 Fluid Type Gas Gas + Solid Liquid Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 23,474 32,525 0 Gas flow rate, kg / h 33,852 36,541 0 Temperature, C 2,085 1,509 20 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 22,160 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 3,936

[0102] [Table 11] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Total Quenching Water 22 Residual Gas 38 to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Reagent 26A to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48B to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Gas Mixture to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Fluid Type Liquid Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Flow Rate, N m3 / h 0 60 094 12 157 29 584 41 741 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 0 58 701 16 496 47 254 63 746 Temperature, C 20 230 20 40 37 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 20 238 0 0 0 0

[0103] [Table 11] - (continued) Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 42 Cooled combustion gas 46 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 1 48 To CO2 capture 52 Fluid type Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 95 466 95 466 57 606 12 625 Gas flow rate, kg / h 122 446 122 446 20 165 Temperature, C 1 027 230 40 40 40 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 30 433 0

[0104] [Table 12]: Composition and properties of several key gas streams for Example 5 Current Name Composition (% by volume) Oxidation gas mixture to combustion zone Primary flame gas 131 Residual gas 38 Oxidation gas mixture to thermal oxidizer 40 Hot combustion gas 42 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 n2 28.92% 25.37% 9.91% 39.01% 23.29% 38.60% O2 27.56% 4.72% 0.00% 19.82% 1.99% 3.30% CO 0.00% 3.14% 15.02% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2 0.00% 0.33% 6.18% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2o 4.73% 24.71% 59.77% 4.47% 43.46% 6.31% co2 38.79% 41.73% 9.13% 36.70% 31.25% 51.79% ch4 0 0 0 0 0 0

[0105] Example 6: Production of HS (high specific surface area) carbon black according to an example of an embodiment

[0106] In this Example 6, high-quality carbon black with a high specific surface area is produced using the same apparatus as in Example 4. A similar composition of the oxidation reagent 26 and the oxidation reagent (3 vol. N2 and 97 vol. O2) is used in this example as in Example 4. This example demonstrates the impact of a higher moisture content in the dehydrated flue gas 48, which is dehydrated at 55°C. The key process parameters for this example are summarized in Table 13 below. Combustion of the waste gas 38 yields approximately 41 MW of thermal energy, and a cooling value of approximately 29 MW is required to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A.

[0107] [Table 13]: Key process parameters for example 6 Parameter Current Name Oxidation Reagent 26 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48A Oxidation Gas Mixture Burner Fuel 24 Feed Charge 28 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Flow Rate, Nm3 / h 5,356 13,447 18,804 2,600 0 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 7,648 23,978 31,626 2,008 0 Temperature, C 20 55,676 20,280 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 6,625 Solid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 0

[0108] [Table 13] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Primary Flame Gas 131 Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 22 Fluid Type Gas Gas + Solid Liquid Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 21,984 31,059 0 Gas flow rate, kg / h 33,634 36,323 0 Temperature, C 2,084 1,508 20 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 22,161 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 3,936

[0109] [Table 13] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Total Quenching Water 22 Residual Gas 38 to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Reagent 26A to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48B to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Gas Mixture to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Fluid Type Liquid Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Flow Rate, N m3 / h 0 59 226 12 157 29 584 36 803 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 0 58 964 16 496 52 752 63 111 Temperature, C 20 230 20 55 51 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 22 641 0 0 0 0

[0110] [Table] - 13 (continued) Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 42 Cooled combustion gas 46 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 1 48 To CO2 capture 52 Fluid type Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 89 562 89 562 51 140 8 109 Gas flow rate, kg / h 122 075 122 075 14 460 Temperature, C 1 027 230 55 55 55 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 30 855 0

[0111] [Table 14] - Composition and properties of several key gas streams for Example 6 Stream Name Composition (% by volume) Oxidation gas mixture in combustion zone 12 Primary flame gas 1 31 Residual gas 38 Oxidation gas mixture in thermal oxidizer 40 Hot combustion gas 42 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 n2 0.10% 0.14% 0.005% 0.11% 0.08% 0.14% O2 30.98% 4.93% 0.00% 22.52% 1.99% 3.49% CO2 4.3% 16.44% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2 0 0.4% 5.52% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2o 9.92% 31.72% 64.40% 11.15% 50.82% 13.87% co2 59.00% 58.50% 13.59% 66.32% 47.11% 82.50% ch4 0 0 0 0 0 0

[0112] Example 7: Production of HS (low specific surface area) carbon black according to an example embodiment

[0113] In this Example 7, high-quality, low-specific-surface-area carbon black is produced using the same apparatus as in Example 2. Instead of pure oxygen, air is used as the oxidation reagent 26. The oxidation reagent 26A contains 3 vol. N2 and 97 vol. O2. The processing of the carbon black product, the combustion of the waste gas, energy recovery, and the treatment of the flue gas generally follow the same protocol as that shown in Example 2. The key process parameters for this example are summarized in Table 15 below. The combustion of the waste gas 38 yields approximately 28 MW of thermal energy, and a cooling value of approximately 19 MW is required to dehydrate the purified flue gas 46A.

[0114] [Table 15]: Key process parameters for example 7 Parameter Current Name Oxidation Reagent 26 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48A Oxidation Gas Mixture Burner Fuel 24 Feed Charge 28 Fluid Type Gas Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Flow Rate, Nm3 / h 13,358 5,704 19,061 318 0 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 17,192 7,984 25,177 246 0 Temperature, C 20 44 700 20 70 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 7,000 Solid Flow Rate, kg / h 0 0 0 0 0

[0115] [Table 15] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Primary Flame Gas 131 Reaction current from reaction zone 16 to first quenching zone 18 Total quenching water 22 Fluid Type Gas Gas + Solid Liquid Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 19,387 27,502 0 Gas flow rate, kg / h 25,423 27,949 0 Temperature, C 1,051 1,339 20 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 14,074 Solid flow rate, kg / h 0 4,474

[0116] [Table 15] - (continued) Parameter Current Name Total Quenching Water 22 Residual Gas 38 to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Reagent 26A to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Dehydrated Combustion Gas 48B to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Oxidation Gas Mixture to Thermal Oxidizer 40 Fluid Type Liquid Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Gas Flow Rate, N m3 / h 0 45 010 5 356 26 894 32 251 Gas Flow Rate, kg / h 0 42 023 7 619 37 648 45 267 Temperature, C 20 230 20 40 37 Liquid Flow Rate, kg / h 14 074 0 0 0 0

[0117] [Table 15] - (continued) Parameter Flow Name Hot combustion gas 42 Cooled combustion gas 46 Exiting boiler 44 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 Wastewater 51 Dehydration output Dehydrated combustion gas 1 48 To CO2 capture 52 Fluid type Gas Gas Gas Liquid Gas Gas flow rate, Nm3 / h 72,559 72,559 48,598 16,000 Gas flow rate, kg / h 87,290 87,290 22,398 Temperature, C 1,044 230 40 40 40 Liquid flow rate, kg / h 0 0 0 19,260 0

[0118] [Table 16]: Composition and properties of several key gas streams for Example 7 Stream Name Composition (% by volume) Oxidation gas mixture to combustion zone 12 Primary flame gas 1 31 Residual gas 38 Oxidation gas mixture to thermal oxidizer 40 Hot combustion gas 42 Dehydrated combustion gas 48 n2 75.49% 74.23% 31.97% 56.41% 44.91% 67.05% O2 15.33% 11.75% 0.00% 18.01% 1.52% 2.27% CO 0 0 9.87% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2 0 0 11.03% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% h2o 1.89% 5.14% 45.25% 5.26% 37.24% 6.30% co2 7.29% 8.88% 1.88% 20.33% 16.33% 24.38% ch4 0 0 0 0 0 0

[0119] The preceding description of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been given for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the foregoing, or may be acquired through practice of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of system configuration variations are provided for by the various embodiments described herein and schematically illustrated in the figures. It is understood that those skilled in the art will be able, with the aid of this disclosure, to easily adjust the configuration and process parameters for the desired operation of a furnace carbon black reactor according to the various embodiments of the invention.The embodiments have been chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention in various forms and with various modifications as appropriate to the particular intended use. It is understood that the scope of the invention is defined by the annexed claims and their equivalents.

Claims

Demands

1. A process for producing carbon black, comprising: (a) in a carbon black reactor comprising a combustion zone, at least one feed injection zone downstream of the combustion zone, and at least one reaction zone downstream of the first feed injection zone, the transformation in the reaction zone(s) of a hydrocarbon feed into carbon black in the presence of combustion gases generated in the combustion zone by burning a fuel in an oxidation gas mixture comprising 20 to 85% by volume of carbon dioxide, 15 to 80% by volume of oxygen, not more than 30% by volume of water and not more than 35% by volume of nitrogen to form a first product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor and hydrogen,in which the fuel is part of the hydrocarbon feedstock or a separate fuel source and in which at least a portion of the hydrocarbon feedstock is brought into contact with the combustion gases in at least one feedstock injection zone; (b) the addition of water to the first product stream to at least partially stop the transformation and form a second product stream comprising carbon black, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and water vapor; (c) the removal of carbon black from the second product stream to form a residual gas; (d) the reduction of the carbon monoxide and hydrogen content in at least a portion of the residual gas to produce a combustion gas comprising not more than 40% by volume of nitrogen; and (f) the directing of at least a first portion of the combustion gas to at least one of the combustion zones,of at least one feed charge injection zone and at least one reaction zone.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the first product stream further comprises sulfur-containing species, and the process further comprises the removal of at least a portion species containing sulfur from the first part of the combustion gas, from a second part of the combustion gas, or from both.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reduction includes the combustion of the residual gas.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reduction comprises the separation and recovery of at least a portion of the hydrogen from the residual gas.

5. A process according to claim 4, wherein the first product stream and the second product stream each contain carbon monoxide, and wherein the reduction further comprises the combustion of the residual gas following separation and recovery.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the removal of water from the residual gas before the removal of hydrogen.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the removed water is directed for use in step (b).

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises directing at least a portion of the recovery gas to the combustion zone.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising removing water from the waste gas before directing at least a portion of the waste gas.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the removed water is directed for use in step (b).

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising combining the first part of the combustion gas with a forward oxidation reagent, wherein the oxidation gas mixture comprises the first combined part of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent, and wherein the combined part of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent is directed to the combustion zone, the reaction zone, or both.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising heating the first part of the combustion gas before combination.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising heating the first combined portion of the combustion gas and the oxidation reagent.

14. Method according to claim 1, further comprising heating the first part of the combustion gas before direction.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising combining the first portion of the combustion gas with the hydrocarbon feed charge before direction, wherein the combined portion of the combustion gas and the hydrocarbon feed charge are directed to at least one feed charge injection zone.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising heating the combined first part of the combustion gas and the hydrocarbon feed charge.

17. Method according to claim 15, further comprising heating the first part of the combustion gas to form a hot combustion gas and combining the hot combustion gas with the hydrocarbon feed charge before direction.

18. A method according to claim 1, further comprising heating the first part of the combustion gas with an energy source selected from a microwave, a plasma and a resistive heating element.

19. A process according to claim 1, further comprising the removal of water from the first part of the combustion gas to produce a dehydrated combustion gas comprising at most 35% by volume of water.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the removed water is directed for use in step (b).

21. A process according to claim 19, further comprising granulating at least a portion of the carbon black by combining the portion with a liquid, forming carbon black beads and drying the carbon black beads to reduce the water content to a maximum of 1% by weight, wherein the drying comprises heating the dehydrated combustion gas and bringing the carbon black beads into contact with the heated dehydrated combustion gas.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the liquid comprises the removed water.

23. A method according to claim 19, further comprising diverting a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas and removing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide from the diverted dehydrated combustion gas.

24. A method according to claim 22, further comprising either or both of the condensation and storage of carbon dioxide removed from the diverted dehydrated combustion gas.

25. A process according to claim 19, further comprising supplying the oxidizing gas by allowing the liquid oxygen to evaporate, wherein the process further comprises transferring thermal energy from the dehydrated combustion gas to the liquid oxygen.

26. A process according to claim 19, wherein the removal of carbon black comprises passing the second product stream through a filter which separates the second product stream into carbon black and residual gas, wherein the process further comprises using dehydrated combustion gas to purge solid particles from the filter.

27. ​​A process according to claim 19, wherein the removal of carbon black comprises passing the second product stream through a cyclone separator, wherein the process further comprises using a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas to separate the residual gas and carbon black in the cyclone separator.

28. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the compression of at least a portion of the dehydrated combustion gas.

29. A process according to claim 28, wherein the removal of carbon black comprises passing the second stream of product through a filter, and wherein the process further comprises using compressed dehydrated combustion gas to clean the filter.

30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the reduction includes the combustion of the residual gas in a burner, and wherein the method further includes the use of the compressed dehydrated combustion gas to clean the burner.

31. A process according to claim 1, wherein the addition of water further comprises the addition of at least a part of the first part of the combustion gas to the first product stream to stop the transformation.

32. Carbon black production apparatus, comprising: a carbon black reactor including a combustion zone for burning a gaseous oxidation mixture and a fuel to generate a heated gas stream, a first injection zone a feed charge for injecting a hydrocarbon feed charge into the heated gas stream to form a product stream, a first reaction zone in which carbon black is formed in the product stream, a first quenching injector, and a first quenching zone in which the carbon black is at least partially quenched with quenching fluid injected from the first quenching injector into the product stream; a separator in fluidic communication with the first quenching zone in which the carbon black is separated from the product stream to form a residual gas; a thermal oxidizer configured to burn the residual gas with an additional oxidation gas to form a hot combustion gas; a first combustion gas heat exchanger which removes thermal energy from the hot combustion gas and having an outlet port to discharge a cooled combustion gas;and in which the outlet orifice is in fluidic communication with and upstream of at least one apparatus element selected from the combustion zone and the first reaction zone.

33. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a scrubber cooler including a sulfur species scrubber and a water condenser, the scrubber cooler being configured to remove sulfur-containing species and water from at least a portion of the cooled combustion gas, thereby producing dehydrated combustion gas, and comprising an exhaust outlet port through which the dehydrated combustion gas is discharged, wherein the exhaust outlet port is in fluidic communication with at least one apparatus element.

34. Apparatus according to claim 33, further comprising a heater in fluidic communication with the outlet port of the scrubber cooler and a carbon black granulator configured to receive at least a portion of heated dehydrated combustion gas, in which the heated dehydrated combustion gas dries the carbon black granules formed in the granulator.

35. Apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the separator comprises a bag filter and the apparatus serves to direct at least one part of the dehydrated combustion gas to periodically purge particulate solids from the bag filter.

36. Apparatus according to claim 33 further comprising a carbon capture system for removing at least some of the carbon dioxide present in the dehydrated combustion gas.

37. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the heat exchanger is a boiler in which thermal energy from the hot combustion gas is transferred to the water.

38. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a compressor configured to receive at least a portion of the combustion gas from the outlet orifice and discharge the compressed combustion gas.

39. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the apparatus is configured to direct at least a portion of the residual gas to the combustion zone.

40. Apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a condenser upstream of the combustion zone configured to remove water from the residual gas portion.

41. Apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a hydrogen removal device upstream of the combustion zone configured to remove hydrogen from the residual gas portion.

42. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a second quenching injector and a second quenching zone in which the at least partially quenched carbon black is further quenched with quenching fluid injected from the second quenching injector into the product stream.

43. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a heater disposed between the outlet and at least one apparatus element for heating at least a portion of the combustion gas, the heater comprising a microwave source, a plasma source or a resistive heating element.

44. Apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a heat exchanger for receiving the product stream from the first quenching zone, wherein the heat exchanger serves to exchange the heat of the product stream with at least a portion of the cooled combustion gas to heat the portion of the cooled combustion gas to a temperature of 400 to 950°C.

45. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the apparatus is configured to combine at least a portion of the cooled combustion gas with the additional oxidation gas and direct the combined portion of the cooled combustion gas and the additional oxidation gas to the thermal oxidizer.

46. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein one or more of the combustion zone, the first reaction zone and the first feed charge injection zone is / are configured to receive the oxidation gas mixture, wherein the oxidation gas mixture comprises at least a portion of the mass of the cooled combustion gas and an oxidation reagent.

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